


Uber

by Jlv



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Gen, Mentions of families - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-11 00:37:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15303603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jlv/pseuds/Jlv
Summary: Link didn't tell Rhett. Rhett does not take this well.





	Uber

**Author's Note:**

> Second fic. Please be gentle!

He dipped his head, shoulders sagging. He was tired. He was often told he looked tired, even when he felt bright-eyed after a solid eight hours of sleep. Right now, however, if someone said he looked like he'd not slept, they'd be right.

Rhett swiped at his eyes, as if rubbing them would clear his brain. He was surprised to find them wet and he quickly pressed his palms against them, hard, banishing the tears. He had no right to cry, everything was good. Fine.

Why hadn't he told him?

Link had been a little off during that week. He'd just been a bit distant, a little bit snippy and then he'd called off a planned lunch meeting - meant to be planning, but recently lunches had been more fun than work. He'd liked it. Friendships sometimes ebb and flow, but he felt recently that he and Link had been as close as they'd ever been after a really tough busy year. It was nice.

So Link being a little off and cancelling lunch wasn't too worrying - he'd said he'd forgotten an appointment and Link did that sometimes. Fine, he'd replied, no worries bro. Call me later.

Link did call him later and told him. 

He said he'd had to go for test results. He'd thought he had found something and went to be checked right away - the initial checks meant he'd been referred for further investigatory tests. He'd got the results and he'd been told he was fine, nothing to worry about. Link had started getting into the story, beginning to slightly ramble as Link normally did.

But Link had not been heard because Rhett felt like he'd been slapped in the face. Hard. The first words out of his mouth weren't understanding or support or concern. He'd stopped Link mid sentence, just as he had been complaining about parking at the hospital, with an angry demand.

'Why the HELL didn't you tell me?'

Link had become immediately defensive, saying there'd been nothing to tell. That there had been no point in saying anything until he knew for sure.

Rhett could hear Link closing off, but he couldn't hide his anger. You should have told me, he'd almost hissed. Whatever. Why the hell didn't you tell me? He was shouting down the phone.

They'd ended the call, Rhett furious, Link withdrawn, angry, one word replies. 

As he'd thrown his cell onto his desk and viciously kicked at the legs of his chair, Rhett realised he wasn't angry with Link. Not at all. He'd been absolutely, stomach-churningly petrified. Because it meant one thing - Link wasn't invincible. Link might not always be there for him, with him. He really could lose him at any time. The realisation hit hard, the feeling settled over him, a total terror of that loss expanded and a whisper began telling him what a crap friend he'd been. He'd not asked how Link was feeling, how he had dealt with it, was there anything that needed to be done.... he could still lose Link through his own stupidity and selfishness. Disgusted with himself Rhett proceeded to snap at his boys for the rest of the evening, shut down on Jessie and then had not slept at all, berating and hating himself for all he'd said and for all he'd not said.

They'd had the standing lunch appointment set for today and Link had texted him, saying not to pick him up, that he'd meet him at the office rather than the restaurant. Feeling wretchedly grateful that Link still wanted to at least see him, Rhett texted back just one word - ok. He didn't know what else to put and now there he was, sitting in their office, thinking what the heck he was going to say to Link when he arrived. Before he'd managed to think beyond an 'I'm sorry', Link walked in the office, turning in silence to shut the door behind him. He never closed the door.

When Rhett stood to face him, he saw Link looked tired too, a slight darkness under his eyes, his mouth without his ready smile. It made Rhett wince - Link should have been happy and relieved after yesterday. He'd caused that weariness, that darkness.

'Hi' Link said quietly.

He'd replied 'Hey' and almost lost the nerve to say anything else, but he pressed on, clearing his throat nervously.

'Link' 

He raked his fingers through his hair and moved his hand to tug at his beard nervously. 

'I'm so sorry. How I spoke to you yesterday was wrong, man. I should have listened and been more supportive. This must have been hard for you to deal with, but all I thought about was me....' 

He dared to look up into Link's eyes, instead of the shoulder seam of his jacket that he'd been staring at whilst talking and saw link's eyebrows drawn together, concentrating on his every word. He was giving him his full attention, blue eyes searching; this was Link's focussed face. Rhett's voice trailed off under Link's scrutiny. 

He thought he saw a glimmer of something in those blue eyes as Link raised his hand and gestured with his index finger for him to stop, almost sighing his name.

'Rhett... I... ' 

Link pushed his glasses up in his familiar nervous tic and sighed again.

'I can't talk with you standing over there. Let's sit'. 

Link moved to the easy chairs and sat in his, leaning forwards with his elbows on his knees. 

'Rhett... that hurt yesterday. On the phone. That felt cold'. 

Rhett was still settling into his chair across from Link when the words stung him. He opened his mouth to reply, but Link raised his finger again to stop him.

'I'm not done. I was so angry and hurt - I mean, what the crap! I'd had some fantastic news and you were shouting about you and how dare I not tell you? I felt like you'd slapped me. It hurt'

He blinked. Rhett knew that slapped in the face feeling himself from yesterday.

Link took his glasses off and fiddled with them, wiping the lenses with the bottom of his tee shirt before putting them back on as he continued.

'I was pissed at you. I almost broke my phone, slamming it down, Christy got caught in the fallout and I was snippy with Lando... I spent most of the night turning it over in my head, trying to figure out your problem. Then, early this morning, Christy said something and it clicked. 'Maybe he was just scared' ' 

Link picked at the arm of the chair.

'I thought I was doing the right thing, Rhett. I was scared, terrified but nothing was sure, certain. I figured that no one else should have to worry about that. I know if I had told you, you'd have taken it all in on yourself, you'd have been on the darned internet, looking everything up and trying not to freak out, brooding on it and all the negative stories. I didn't want that until we were certain what, if anything, what we were facing..'

Link pressed at his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose and sniffed.

'But when Christy said that, I thought and realised; I would have been just like you. I'd have been furious you'd not said anything. And I would have been petrified to think about what could have been and that I didn't get to try and help when you were hurtin' ' 

Link swiped at his mouth with his fingers and shook his head slightly.

'But to me, I thought at the time that I didn't want you worrying, no point in all of us being on edge. That if good news, I could just tell you, you'd be pleased all was good, I'd be relieved and we'd have a great lunch today to celebrate. And... And if it had been bad, I would have all the answers for you and discuss plans to...'

'Don't'

He stopped Link mid sentence.

'Don't say it. Please, bro...'

'Rhett, if anything has come out of this, it's that we have to talk about this seriously one day. We're not those young guys any more, we have responsibilities to others...'

Rhett jumped up, shaking his head at Link's words and paced back across the office, facing the wall. He felt his eyes sting. He made himself take a deep breath and try to tell Link what he wanted to tell him, not bottle up his feelings or let them out as anger as usual.

'I know you're right Link. I know we do need to go down that route, but I think it's too raw for both of us today. You're right, man. I was... I AM petrified. I'm not sure what I would be without you here. And I thought we trusted each other to be honest about everything and it made me feel you didn't trust me. And yes, that's needy and ridiculous and this was totally your private thing but... It's mine too. Because you're... ' 

He hesitated and swallowed, pushing the lump down in his throat, trying to will the words to spill out, when he felt a hand pressed to his shoulder, rubbing softly, causing him to drop his head forward and let out a shuddering, stuttering breath.

'Hey, c'mon brother. It's ok. C'mon Rhett. We're good, bo'

Link tugged at his shoulder to turn him around and then pulled him into a fierce hug that Rhett returned.

'No , Link. I have to say sorry. It's unforgivable. But I was so scared about you, for you and what you'd gone through and me not knowing.' 

Rhett's breath hitched again, and Link sniffled into Rhett's shoulder in response. 

'Rhett, it's ok. There is nothing to forgive because we both could have done better and considered each other more. You're still mine. I'm still yours. We're both still here and we still have things to do, to create. The way it's always been, buddy, always.... Link and Rhett'

Rhett sniffed next to Link's ear, tipping his head to lean against Link's and he managed a gravelly reply.

'Erm, I think you'll find that's Rhett and Link buddy...'

Link giggled and Rhett felt himself calm and still from that sound and the tight hug.

'yeah yeah, whatever man... Why the crap it wasn't alphabetical, I still don't know.'

Link pressed a light kiss to Rhett's hair.

'Love you Rhett. Whatever.'

He returned the kiss to Link's temple and sighed.

'Love you too, bro. Whatever. Always'

It was Link's turn to sigh as they stood slightly rocking each other for a moment, until Link took a deep breath, slapping Rhett's back a couple of times and pulling away clearing his throat.

'Hey man... We can still make that reservation I think. I'll drive us...'

Link reached into his pocket for his keys.

Rhett sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands.

'Naw, Neal... Let's do this right. Let's leave the cars here today, have a long, long lunch and take a few drinks in. Let's Uber it, baby' 

'Well, normally I'd call that a waste of money, but today .... I like your idea, McLaughlin. Order that Uber, baby!' 

Link thought for a moment 

'It would be super duper... Hey, you like that? That's some great rhyming, man, I still got it... Write it down, that could work.'

They walked out the office door as Rhett was trying to find a nearby car on his app.

'Trying to get us some wheels. We'll do it at the restaurant, or in the car. Whatever. Plenty of time, man... Plenty of time.'

**Author's Note:**

> I've been purposely vague about certain things, as I felt it didn't really add to anything, sorry if that doesn't work for you.
> 
> I'm in a similar friend situation as R and L and yes, this situation happened to us, with me playing the Rhett part. I wasn't proud of myself.


End file.
